Following the purchase of all 27 acres of land required for Bushwick Inlet Park and a $17.5 million commitment to its development, Friends of Bushwick Inlet Park is launching a discussion series this month that will focus on what the world-class waterfront park should be.

Baltimore addressed its trash problem in its Inner Harbor with a floating water wheel. But it got public buy-in by giving it a personality. According to the director of the clean-up initiative, this is just another example of how new infrastructure in cities these days has to have multiple uses.

The first section of the project—the Skate Trail—officially opened to the public on January 5. The track is just one small part of the 1.75 km stretch under the Gardiner that is being transformed into public space.